1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical recording/reproducing optical apparatus and method thereof, capable of using disc cartridges of difference sizes, i.e., one of which holds a disc having a diameter of 12 cm, and another one which holds a disc having a diameter of 8 cm, by positioning the disc cartridges on one tray.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, there are two kinds of disc cartridges for accommodating discs of different sizes, i.e., one which holds a disc having a diameter of 12 cm (hereinafter called a 12 cm disc cartridge), and another one which holds a disc having a diameter of 8 cm (hereinafter called a 8 cm disc cartridge or a smaller cartridge). Such disc cartridges have an accommodating hole through which a turn table, and a chucking clamp of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus are advanced. The accommodating hole communicates with an opening which serves as a feeding passage to an optical pickup device. A shutter is mounted on each disc cartridge to open/close both the accommodating hole and the opening.
The optical recording/reproducing apparatus has means for rotating the disc at a speed that the information can be recorded/reproduced thereon/therefrom, an optical pickup device moved in a radial direction of the rotating disc while radiating a laser beam on the disc, and a signal processing section for processing the information detected by the laser beam radiated from the optical pickup device.
Thus, when the disc cartridge is advanced in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus, the shutter of the disc cartridge is moved in a direction so that the shutter exposes the accommodating hole and the opening of the disc cartridge. Then, the turn table and the chucking clamp are advanced through the accommodating hole to position and chuck the disc. Continuously, the optical pickup device is linearly and reciprocally moved in a radial direction of the disc (mounted in the disc cartridge) along the opening while recording/reproducing the information on/from the disc.
However, since the conventional optical recording/reproducing apparatus is capable of using only one kind of disc cartridge, there is a problem in compatibility, i.e., both of the 12 cm and 8 cm discs cannot be used therein.
Further, if both 12 cm and 8 cm discs are to be used, respective optical recording/reproducing apparatuses for the respective disc cartridges have to be provided, and as a result, the cost accordingly increases.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-described problems, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus capable of using a 12 cm disc cartridge, a smaller disc cartridge, i.e., an 8 cm disc cartridge and/or an adapter by selectively positioning the same on only one tray.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus capable of using an adapter for accommodating an 8 cm disc and a naked disc as well as a 12 cm disc cartridge and an 8 cm disc cartridge by selectively positioning the same on only one tray.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus for automatically detecting which of disc cartridges, an adapter, and a naked disc (without a disc cartridge) is positioned on the tray at a given time, and automatically performing information recording and reproducing processes according to the detected result.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The above objects of the present invention will be accomplished by providing an optical recording/reproducing apparatus including a case, a tray mounted to the case and capable of being received and withdrawn into/from the case, and selectively accommodating disc cartridges of at least two different sizes, means for supporting the disc cartridges positioned on the tray according to the sizes of the disc cartridges, means for detecting the sizes of the disc cartridges positioned on the tray and a state of discs accommodated in the disc cartridges, means for rotating the discs in the disc cartridges positioned on the tray, and means for recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from the disc rotated by the rotating means.
The optical recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present invention further includes means for opening/closing shutters mounted on the disc cartridges in response to the receiving/withdrawing of the tray with respect to the case, and means for pressing hubs of the respective discs accommodated in the disc cartridges, thus chucking the discs onto the rotational means.
The support means includes a press member contacting with, and thus, pressing a side of either a 12 cm disc cartridge and a smaller disc cartridge positioned on the tray, a holding member mechanism for holding both sides of the smaller disc cartridge, thus preventing a minute movement of the smaller disc cartridge positioned on the tray, and a horizontality member mechanism maintaining a horizontal orientation of the smaller disc cartridge with respect to a bottom of the tray.
The detecting section includes a first detecting part detecting the size of the 12 cm disc cartridge and the state of a disc accommodated therein, and a second detecting part detecting the size of the smaller disc cartridge and the state of a disc accommodated therein.
The first detecting part includes a plurality of first detecting holes formed on the tray corresponding to sensor holes of the 12 cm disc cartridge, and sense switches attached to a deck base, to be inserted into the sensor holes of the 12 cm disc cartridge through the first detecting holes.
The second detecting part includes at least one leaf switch attached to the deck base, exposed through guide grooves of the tray, the leaf switch detecting the size of the smaller disc cartridge positioned on the tray, by being selectively in contact with contact portions of press rods which are moved along guide apertures and thus turned on/off, a plurality of second detecting holes formed on the tray corresponding to sensor holes of the smaller disc cartridge, and a photo-sensor attached to the deck base, detecting the state of the disc accommodated in the smaller disc cartridge by radiating a laser beam through the second detecting holes to the sensor holes of the smaller disc cartridge, and receiving the laser beam. The photo-sensor includes a light emitting element radiating the laser beam to a diffusion lens inserted into a fitting hole of an opening cover through a second detecting hole of the tray and a pierce hole of a smaller disc cartridge case, a plurality of light receiving elements disposed at positions corresponding to the sensor holes of the smaller disc cartridge, the light receiving elements receiving the laser beams transmitted to the sensor holes of the smaller disc cartridge via the diffusion lens, and a circuit board electrically detecting the laser beams received by the light receiving elements. Here, the light emitting element with the light receiving element are attached to, thus supported by the circuit board.
The optical recording/reproducing apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a case, a tray mounted to the case capable of being received and withdrawn into/from the case, and selectively accommodating disc cartridges of at least two different sizes, means for supporting the disc cartridges positioned on the tray according to the sizes of the disc cartridges, first positioning means for determining the position of the 12 cm disc cartridge on the tray and positioning the 12 cm disc cartridge at the determined position, a first detecting part detecting a size of the 12 cm disc cartridge positioned by the first positioning means, and the state of the 12 cm disc accommodated in the 12 cm disc cartridge, second positioning means for determining the position of the smaller disc cartridge on the tray and positioning the smaller disc cartridge at the determined position, a second detecting part detecting a size of the smaller disc cartridge positioned by the second positioning means, and the state of the 8 cm disc accommodated in the smaller disc cartridge, means for rotating the discs respectively accommodated in the disc cartridges positioned on the tray, and means for recording and/or reproducing the information on/from the discs rotated by the rotating means.
The first positioning means includes a pair of first positioning pin holes formed on the tray corresponding to insert holes of the 12 cm disc cartridge, and a pair of first positioning pins disposed on a deck base and to be inserted into the insert holes of the 12 cm disc cartridge after passing through the first positioning pin holes.
The second positioning means includes a pair of second positioning pin holes formed on the tray corresponding to insert holes of the smaller disc cartridge, a rotational bracket mounted to the case by a hinge pin, the rotational bracket having a pair of second positioning pins to be inserted into the insert holes of the smaller disc cartridge after passing through the second positioning pin holes, and means for rotating the rotational bracket upward and downward, wherein the rotating means is automatically operated through signals sensed by the second detecting part to move a rotational bracket. The rotational bracket rotating means includes a slider to be reciprocally moved along guide protrusions protruded from the bottom of the case in a linear direction; a driving motor, driving means for driving the slider, to be turned on/off in accordance with a signal sensed by the second detecting part, and a power transmitter transmitting a driving power from the driving motor to the slider.
A method of optical recording/reproducing apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of (a) detecting whether a disc cartridge received in a tray is positioned, (b) moving recording/reproducing means to an initial position, (c) detecting a size of the disc cartridge positioned on the tray, (d) detecting whether a disc accommodated in the disc cartridge is a single-sided disc or a double-sided disc, (e) detecting whether the disc is formatted, (f) displaying the size of the disc cartridge, whether the disc is a single-sided disc or a double-sided disc, and whether the disc is formatted as the sensed results of the above steps (a), (c), (d), and (e), (g) detecting whether a recording surface of the disc is sensed, (h) detecting whether information is to be recorded on the disc or reproduced from the disc, and (i) recording and/or reproducing the information on and/or from the disc according to the sensed results.